He told BBC: "Somebody brought this smelly waxy rugby ball-shaped lump to us and asked us to sell it for them.

"There are many things which can be mistaken for ambergris – fat, rubber and palm oil among others – but after doing some research and consulting the authorities of such things, we found that what we had was indeed very valuable," said Partridge.

According to Partridge, the Ambergris is "by far the weirdest" although they have seen lots of "unusual items pass through the doors over the years".

Three years ago, a boy and his father found some ambergris which was eventually sold for US$63,000 (S$89,803).

National Geographic reported that ambergris is highly valued in the high-end fragrance industry with brands such as Chanel and Lanvin reported to use the ambergris' special quality to fix scent to human skin.

The value of ambergris depends on perfume house "noses", who are responsible for choosing scents.